Sequential flasher control switch

ABSTRACT

A &#34;HOT-WIRE&#34; TYPE THERMALLY RESPONSIVE FLASHER SWITCH HAVING A PLURALITY OF SEQUENTIALLY CLOSED SWITCH CONTACTS. A TEETER PLATE HAVING A CENTRAL, PIVOTAL MOUNTING AND HAVING THE THERMALLY RESPONDING MEMBERS OR WIRES ATTACHED TO EACH OF ITS TWO FREE ENDS PERMITS AN AMPLIFICATION OF THE WORK OUTPUT OF THE THERMALLY RESPONDING COMPONENT WITHIN THE CONFINED SPACE OF THE FLASHER SWITCH HOUSING SO   AS TO PERMIT RELIABLE, SEQUENTIAL ACTUATION OF THE MULTIPLE SWITCH CONTACTS.

Jan. 12,1971 c. F. FRI-:Y

SEQUENTIAL FLASHER CONTROL SWITCH Filed May 5, 1969 INVENTOR p CLEOM mmm mm; auch mgm,

United States Patent Oflice 3,555,480 SEQUENTIAL FLASHER CONTROL SWITCH Cleon F. Frey, Sebastian, Fla., assignor to International Flasher Corporation, Bayamon, Puerto Rico, a corporation of Puerto Rico Filed May 5, 1969, Ser. No. 821,838 Int. Cl. H01h 61/06, 71 /18 U.S. Cl. 337-140 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Various studies into the mechanistic, physiologic processes involved in visual perception of signaling devices indicating traic hazards establish that awareness of impending road hazards comes about by a series of rapid visual fixes or stuttering eye movements of the observer. An intermittent warning signal, such as a flashing light, as distinguished from a steady light or immobile sign, produces much earlier and more repeated fixes by the driver On the intermittent of hashing signal. The desirability of tlashing turn signal indicators, on highway vehicles, and particularly sequential turn signal indicators, finds scientific support in the data and conclusions resul-ting from these studies. The sequential-type turn signal indicator, where aligned lamps are energized sequentially so as to give emphasis to the impending turn maneuver and 'its direction, has recently come into widespread use.

The switching devices and sys-tems for the sequential indicators are, however, of necessity far more complicated than the simple warp-switch, blinking-flasher type and their cost has, in general, limited the application of the sequential asher type of tum indicator to luxury automobiles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides the greater work output per unit tempera-ture variation, required for sequential, overlapping actuation of multiple switch contacts, by interposing a pivot or teeter member between two segments of the thermally responsive wire or ribbon which extend sideby-side so that, within a given switch housing interior space the effective length, and hence the work output, of the thermally responsive element may be multiplied.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. l is a side view of a flasher switch structure embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. l.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a further portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION 4OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring initially to FIG. l, a circular base plate may be enclosed by a tubular cover, indicated at 11 by broken lines, the cover 111 being formed to grasp a flanged portion of the base plate. Extending through the base plate is an electrically conductive member 12 whose lower end 3,555,480 Patented Jan. 12, 1971 12a, extending beyond the base plate, forms a terminal lug. The upper end of the member 12 is flanged outwardly and serves as an anchor point for an electrically conductive tensioned wire 13, the anchoring connection to the member 12 is flanged outwardly and serves as an anchor point for an electrically conductive tensioned wire 13, the anchoring connection to the member 12 also providing electrical continuity to the wire 13.

Adjacent the wire 13, the vertical leg 14 of a generally T-shaped member ex-tends upwardly from the base and at its upper end carries an insulating plate 16, secured to the leg 14 by any suitable means such as the rivet 17. As may be seen by comparing FIGS. -1 and 2, the upper end of the plate 16 is notched as indicated at 18 to pivotally accommodate the transverse leg 19 of the T-shaped member. The transverse leg is electrically conductive and, at one end 19a, secures the upper end of the wire 13. The opposite end 19b of the transverse leg has attached to it a further electrically conductive tensioned wire 21.

As will be apparent from comparing FIGS. 1 and 3, the wire 21 passes through Ian aperture 22 in a somewhat flexible blade or arm 23 which forms a component of a movable contact assembly. The tip of the wire 22 has fused on it an abutment taking the form of a bead 24 and a wire 26 (FIG. l) electrically connected to the wire section 21 extends to a soldered connection 20 electrically connecting the wire to the arm 23. An electrical circuit can thus be traced from the terminal member 28, through the wire 26, through wire 21, through transverse leg 19, through wire 13 and through the terminal member 12. The blade 23 is electrically connected in this circuit by means of the soldered connection 20 adjacent the mounting screw 25 which supports the blade on the `flanged portion 28a of the terminal member 28. The lower portion 28b of the member 28 extends beyond the baseplate and forms a connect-ing lug.

The elongated, free end of the blade 23 carries movable contacts 31 and 32 (FIG. 3) which cooperate with the underlying stationary or xed contacts 33 and 34. Movable contact 32 engages stationary contact 34, which is disposed `at a lower level than stationary contact 33, so that as the blade 23 moves downwardly, the contacts 31 and 33 engage initially, and further movement of the blade 23 permits the movable contact 32 to engage the stationary contact 34. Engagement of contacts 31-33 and 32-34 is thus sequential with the initially mentioned pair of contacts closing first. Stationary contacts 33- and 34 are lsupported on and having electrical continuity with members 38 and 39, respectively, these members `forming connecting lugs for the stationary contacts.

In operation, the asher switch is connected into a circuit, not shown, which, when initially closed, places power across the terminals 12a and 28b. Electrical current flowing through the wires 21 and 13 causes an elongation of these wires, :by thermal expansion, which permits the blade 23 to move downwardly sequentially closing the contacts 31-33 and 32-34. If three lamps (not shown) are aligned in side-by-side arrangement horizontally so as to indicate the direction of turn when utilized as a turn signal, for example, the lamp to be initially lit will be connected in series with the terminal member 28b so that when the circuit is initially closed this lamp will be illuminated. The adjacent lamp may be connected in series with the terminal member 38 so that it will be illuminated a short time interval subsequent upon the closure of the contacts 31 and 33. The nal lamp in the three lamp series will be illuminated a further interval subsequent by engagement of the contacts 32 and 34, this lamp being connected in series with the terminal 39. When all three lamps are energized a warp switch, acting as a master flasher (not shown) opens 3 the circuit allowing the switching apparatus of FIG. l to return to the cold position shown in FIG. l. The master flasher may then initiate the sequence again and this will continue as long as the turn signal manual lever is held in actuated position.

It will be evident that the available work which may 1be utilized to Operate the movable contact assembly is enhanced by the mounting of two thermal expansion wires in generally side-by-side relation by means of the T-shaped member, the arrangement serving to place the two wires both mechanically and electrically in series so that a relatively long, total, effective length of thermal expansion -wire is available without an impractical increase in the length of the housing.

I claim:

l. A flasher switch including a base plate, a generally T-shaped member extending outwardly from one surface of said base plate with the transverse leg of said member pivotally mounted on the other leg, a movable contact assembly and tensioned means connected thereto for holding the contact assembly in open-circuit position at one temperature but elongating by thermal expansion to permit the contact assembly to move to closed-circuit position at an elevated temperature, said tensioned means comprising a rst electrically conductive tensioned wire anchored to the base plate and fastened to said transverse leg on one side of its pivotal support, and a second electrically conductive tensioned wire fastened to said transverse leg on the other side of its pivotal support and extending into operating relation with said movable contact assembly adjacent to said base plate, said pivotally transverse leg being electrically conductive and insulated from said outwardly extending leg to thereby electrically connect said wires in series through said transverse leg, the thermal elongation or contraction of said wires being additive to provide enhanced actuating force for the movable contact assembly without increasing the length of the tensioned means, said movable contact assembly including a cantilever mounted arm connected to the end of said second Wire remote from said transverse leg and adjacent said base plate, said arm carrying a plurality of electrical contacts adapted to sequentially engage stationary contacts as said wires elongate by thermal expansion.

References Cited UNITED sTATEs PATENTS 3,226,508 12/1965 Muuer 337-1400@ 2,846,543 s/s sivak 337-126 2,416,736 3/1947 Buckley 20o-1660348) 1,937,458 11/1933 Armstrong 20o-soo 1,046,499 12/1912 schneider 337-1400() FOREIGN PATENTS 'i 226,317 12/1924 GreatBritain 337-395 BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner D. M. MORGAN, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 3 37-395 

